Xylophone construction



July 16, 1957 H. IZIMMERMAN XYLOPHONE CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 23, 1954 iINVENTOR. 3 HARRY ZIMMERMAN mL MALT-[1W United States Patent i XYLOPHONECONSTRUCTION Harry Zimmerman, New York, N. Y.

Application August 23, 1954, Serial No. 451,481

5 Claims. (Cl. 84-403) My invention relates to musical toys of thexylophone type, and its object is to produce clear and strong soundswith a structure that is simple and can be made and assembled easily,quickly and inexpensively.

More specific objects are to improve the sound quality by a resonantsound board supporting tone bars, to aflix this board simply byengagement with studs extending in which they are spaced from each otherand from the frame whereby undesirable contacts which would impair thesounds are made impossible, and to simplify the structure and itsessemblage by using the mentioned studs simultaneously for two purposes,for holding the sound board in a vibratory condition and for preventingexcessive lateral movement of the tone bars.

Further objects are to provide a simple structure which makes it easy toproduce the frame by molding the same as one piece, and which allowssimple assemblage of the xylophone in upside-down turned position, toinsert the tone bars by simply dropping the same on the studs while theframe is turned upside-down, and to attach the sound board by pressingthe same in this frame position on the same studs, thereby to makepossible an assemblage requiring only one easy fastening operation, andfurther thereby to provide a frame without parts connected along linesof junction, such a seamless frame having better sound effects than acomposed frame.

Still other objects and advantages will appear from the followingdescription of an exemplifying embodiment of my invention, from theappended claims and from the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 shows a top view of an illustrative embodiment of my invention,portions of the upper ledges of the frame being broken off.

Fig. 2 shows a partially sectional side view of the same embodiment, thesectionally represented parts being out along the broken line 2-2 inFig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section taken along the line 3-3 in Fig. l.

The embodiment shown in the drawing comprises a frame formed by foursubstantially vertical side walls and by top ledges extending from theupper edges of these side walls substantially horizontally and inwardly.The side Walls are arranged in the shape of a trapezoid and comprise alonger end side 4, a shorter end side 5 and two identical, somewhatconverging side walls 6. The walls 4, 5 and 6 have extensions at thefour corners of the frame which reach down and form feet 7. The lowerends of these extensions or feet determine the ground level on which thexylophone stands.

2,799,198 Patented July 16, 1957 Two ledges 8 extend along the sidewalls 6 and, from the upper edges of these walls, toward each other.Other, preferably narrower, ledges may extend similarly along theupper'edges of the end walls 4 and 5. For example a ledge 9 extendsalong the wall 4. Between these ledges, an elongated and broad area isleft free.

Studs or pins 11 extend from the ledges 8 down less far than to theground level. These studs are arranged in two rows, one row belonging toeach ledge 8. Each stud 11 of one row forms with a stud of the other rowa pair of juxtaposed studs. The studs 11 have preferably cylindricalshape.

The frame comprising the walls 4, 5 and 6 and the ledges 8 and 9 ismolded as one seamless piece, preferably of plastic material. This piecepreferably includes also the studs 11 which may be molded integrallywith the ledges 8.

A sound board 12 made of thin, resonant material has two rows ofopenings through which the studs 11 pass tightly whereby these studsengage the board 12 and secure the same in a horizontal position inwhich the board extends between and abuts the side walls of the frame,is located between the level of the ledges 8 and the ground level and isspaced from these two levels. The resonance of the board 12 may beimproved by one or more apertures, for example by a centrally located,circular aperture 13.

Two strips 14 of soft material, for example of felt, overlie the board12 and extend from the board end neighboring the wall 5 to the oppositeboard end.

, A plurality of tone bars of different length and adapted to producedifferent tones are arranged in a row, the extreme bars of this rowbeing indicated by 15 and 16. The bars rest on the strips 14 whereby thebars are supported by the strips and by the board 12. The longitudinalextension of the bars is parallel to the inward extension of the ledges8. The ends of the bars reach under the ledges 8 and are provided withperforations through which the studs 11 pass with clearance. The tonebars are spaced from each other and from all parts of the frame. Theclearance formed by the mentioned perforations about the studs issufficiently small to prevent the bars from excessive lateral movementwhich might bring the bars into undesirable contact with the frame sidewalls, but this clearance is large enough to allow free and Wellsounding vibrations of the bars. The crosssection of the bars may haveany suitable and desirable shape. Preferably, the bars form simpleelongated rectangles With slightly curved uniform cross-sections.

The described xylophone is assembled in the following manner:

The frame is placed in upside-down turned position so that it rests onthe top ledges. The tone bars are dropped into this frame so that thestuds 11 enter the perforations of the bars. Then the board 12 providedwith the strips 14 is pressed on the studs 11 so that the latter engagethe openings of the board tightly. If desired some heat and pressure maybe applied to the stud ends at the same time whereby the extreme ends ofthe studs are slightly broadened and the board is securely riveted tothe studs.

I desire it understood that my invention is not confined to theparticular embodiment shown and described, the same being merelyillustrative, and that my invention may be carried out in other wayswithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from thespirit of my invention as it is obvious that the particular embodimentshown and described is only one of the many that may be employed toattain the objects of my invention.

Having described the nature of my invention, what I claim and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is:

1. A xylophone comprising a frame having substan tially vertical sidewalls having lower ends determining a ground level, said frame furtherhaving two ledges extending from opposite upper edges of said side wallssubstantially horizontally toward-each other, leaving free an areabetween them, tone bars having perforated ends and extending parallel tothe mentioned extension of said ledges and under said area, studsextending from said ledges down and passing through the perforations ofsaid bars with clearance, and a sound board extending horizontallybetween said walls at a level between and spaced from said ground leveland said ledges and having openings engaged by said studs, said tonebars being supported on said board and being spaced from said frame.

2. A xylophone comprising a frame forming a seamless body of materialmolded in one piece and having substantially vertical side walls havinglower ends determining a ground level, said frame further having twoledges extending from opposite upper edges of said side wallssubstantially horizontally toward each other, leaving free an areabetween them, tone bars having perforated ends and extending parallel tothe mentioned extension of said ledges and under said area, studsextending from said ledges down and passing through the perforations ofsaid bars with clearance, and a sound board extending horizontallybetween said walls at a level between and spaced from said ground leveland said ledges and having openings tightly engaged by said studs, saidtone bars being supported on said board and being spaced from saidframe.

3. A xylophone comprising a frame having substantially vertical sidewalls having lower ends forming feet and determining a ground level,said frame further having two ledges extending from opposite upper edgesof said side walls substantially horizontally toward each other, leavingfree an area between them, tone bars having perforated ends andextending parallel to the mentioned extension of said ledges and undersaid area, studs extending from said ledges down and passing through theperforations of said bars with clearance, and a sound board extendinghorizontally between said walls at a level between and spaced from saidground level and said ledges and having openings tightly engaged by saidstuds, and tone bars being supported on said board and being spaced fromsaid frame.

4. A xylophone comprising a frame having substantially vertical sidewalls having lower ends determining a ground level, said frame furtherhaving two ledges extending from opposite upper edges of said side wallssubstantially horizontally toward each other, leaving free an areabetween them, tone bars having perforated ends and extending parallel tothe mentioned extension of said ledges and under said area, soft stripsunderlying said tone bars, studs extending from said ledges down andpassing through the perforations of said bars with clearance, and asound board extending horizontally between said walls at a level betweenand spaced from said ground level and said ledges and having openingstightly engaged by said studs, said strips being supported on saidboard, said tone bars being supported on said strips and thereby on saidboard and being spaced from said frame.

5. A xylophone comprising a frame having substantially vertical sidewalls having lower ends determining a ground level, tone bars havingperforated ends and extending to directions crossing said frame,projections affixed to said frame and having end portions extending downthrough the perforations of said bars with clearance, and a boardextending under said bars at a level spaced from said ground level andbeing attached to the ends of said projections.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

